Apple Enables USB Restricted Mode by Default in iOS 11.4.1

10 July 2018

One of the last updates for iOS 11 was released by Apple this morning, brining a host of new fixes before the company moves on to iOS 12 completely. This could be of particular interest to the many, many people out there who have complained that Apple's recent iOS 11.4 update has resulted in excessive battery drain on their iPhones.

In a nutshell, iPhone users have found that the iOS 11.4 update is drastically reducing their battery life. Apple released iOS 11.4.1 today along with corresponding updates to macOS, watchOS and tvOS. However, Apple had not released the details on its security page at the time of this posting, but expect them to appear sometime soon.

Using USB accessories to defeat the data port lock also works in Apple's iOS 12 beta, Afonin said.

The new feature will not prevent the phone from being charged, but if you want to unlock or transfer any data to or from the device, you will need to enter the phone's passcode on the touchscreen. It's off by default.

Tap the switch next to USB Accessories under Allow Access When Locked to put it in the white "off" position (if it's not there already) if you want USB Restricted Mode activated.

At first we thought we would have to wait until iOS 12 this fall to see this feature, but here it is. These are also small updates. The watchOS update notes simply state that 4.3.2 "includes improvements and bug fixes". The official change-log from Apple points to the release including "general improvements for stability and quality". All devices that now run iOS 11 will be able to update to iOS 12 when it launches. Sometimes the company shifts its focus to the next major release (in this case, iOS 12) in the summer.